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Nice.
Sind die weißen Kleckse Vogelkacke?
Xurmaks Nest
Okay, since I'm asking lots of questions in the tutorial threads, I'd like to show you one of the maps I've done using all the great techniques and tricks I learned while reading the boards.
This one was done using GIMP. One of the goals of this map was to make it look more realistic than my earlier maps (which can be viewed in my gallery) while keeping the hand drawn outlines. Well, I'm quite pleased with it, when comparing it to my initial goal. I'm sorry that I didn't open up a WIP thread, but believe me, it's better this way... I guess reading about my weird trial and error ways of juggeling layers, masks and far, far stranger things would rob you off your sanity. No saving throw.
If I manage to develop some kind of routine in designing maps and finally get a glimpse of what I am actually doing there, I might be able to write it up.
On the other hand, there are far more superior mappers on here, but if there are any questions on how I did certain things, I'll answer as best as I can.
Am I pleased with it? Well, it seems to be a step in the right direction I guess. Alas, the sea doesn't look like sea. It could drift in space and it wouldn't look any different. How could this be improved?
So, the second and more disturbing question: What is this thing? It looks colourful, but what the hell is this thing the strange german guy uploaded and is rambling about?
Is it some kind of beaver's lodge? Ahem, yes, it is...
But in this case, the lodge isn't made out of chopped off trees, but of real saling ships, that were collected by a mad god of the deep seas over eons...
That's the beaver, if you'd like to see it this way.
This is the place where missing ships go in the world our games take place in. It's the center of a bermuda triangle-like region ruled by said mad god and his equally mad minions.
The whole structure is huge. It is several hundred feet high and the countless ship wrecks are merged together in a way, that creates a mad, M.C. Escher-like dungeon filled with hungry aquatic things and secrets better left forgotten. A terrible, insane god is hiding there and it will be better to not cross its path on the quest for a certain scientist that set sail to this forsaken place long ago. A certain undead scientist...
Last edited by Absinth; 02-23-2009 at 03:58 AM.
Nice.
Sind die weißen Kleckse Vogelkacke?
Really nice, mind if I swipe this for my campaign? I'm going to get the group on a long hike to the frozen north, this could very well be the nest of some big white dragon or something like that..
You do have some problems with artefacts and some leftovers from deleting the background if you look close...
It's definitely an interesting piece.
My Finished Maps | My Challenge Maps | Still poking around occasionally...
Unless otherwise stated by me in the post, all work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
Gave ya some rep for the coolest idea I have ever heard of for a dungeon...and the map is pretty good too.
If the radiance of a thousand suns was to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the Mighty One...I am become Death, the Shatterer of worlds.
-J. Robert Oppenheimer (father of the atom bomb) alluding to The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 11, Verse 32)
My Maps ~ My Brushes ~ My Tutorials ~ My Challenge Maps
No, feel free to swipe away...Originally Posted by Hoel
Yes, I know, but I don't know how to get rid of these as I couldn't identify the layer that they "come from"...
I'd like to use this thread to gather a few ideas on how to improve it. How can I give the sea a more sea-like look? And how can I prevent the artifacts Hoel mentioned?
I'd say the artefacts are in the black lines layer, it looks like you've missed a bit when you deleted or masked the background and now the original background shows because of the color layer below.
How big is the .psd? If you can post that I could take a look at it, the limit for posting here is 7.4 mb or something...
Check in the tutorials forum, there's got to be something in there on doing oceans/seas.
For me, I use several layers starting with a very dark blue and moving to a nearly white for along the coastlines. the bottom most (darkest layer) usually covers the entire map area. The folowing layers each gradually shrinking around the various land masses etc. With guassian blurring to help blend the colors together to be more natural. I often (but not always) use some kind of pattern/texture on the layers.
Not the greatest explanation I know...but it should at least get you started.
My Finished Maps | My Challenge Maps | Still poking around occasionally...
Unless otherwise stated by me in the post, all work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
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